Sexual abuse is one form of child abuse. It includes a wide range of actions between a child and an adult or older child. Often these involve body contact, but not always. Exposing one's genitals to children or pressuring them for sex is sexual abuse. Using a child for pornography is also sexual abuse.
Most sexual abusers know the child they abuse. They may be family friends, neighbors or babysitters. About one-third of abusers are related to the child. Most abusers are men. If you think a child may have been abused, it's important to report it.
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Child Sexual Abuse(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Child+Sexual+Abuse§ion=Facts+for+Families
Also available in Spanish http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?section=Informacion+para+la+Familia&name=El+Abuso+Sexual+a+los+Ninos+No.+9
- Sexual Abuse(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/can/types/sexualabuse/index.cfm
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Sexual Abuse: What Is Child Sexual Abuse?(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZ1LW3YA7C&sub_cat=348
Also available in Spanish http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZU60UCG8D&sub_cat=599
- Sexual Exploitation of Children(National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) - http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=218
- Asthma Rates High among Abused Children(09/03/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68839.html
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Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect: Signs and Symptoms(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/signs.cfm
Also available in Spanish http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/sp_signs.cfm
- Parent's Guide to Internet Safety(Federal Bureau of Investigation) - http://www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm
- Protecting Children From Sexual Abuse(American Psychological Association) - http://www.apa.org/releases/sexabuse/protect.html
- Sexual Abuse: Prevention(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_SexAbuse.htm
- Parenting the Sexually Abused Child(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_abused/
- What to Do If a Child Discloses Sexual Exploitation(National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) - http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=1486
- What Is Child Pornography(National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) - http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=1504
- What Is Online Enticement of Children for Sexual Acts(National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) - http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=1503
- What Is Sex Tourism of Children?(National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) - http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=1498
- What Is the Molestation of Children?(National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) - http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=1502
- What Is the Prostitution of Children?(National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) - http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=1494
- Pedophilia(American Psychiatric Association) - http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZUZRUZGLC&sub_cat=355
- Questions and Answers about Memories of Childhood Abuse(American Psychological Association) - http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/mem.html
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Understanding Child Traumatic Stress(National Child Traumatic Stress Network) - http://www.nctsn.org/nccts/nav.do?pid=ctr_aud_prnt_under
Also available in Spanish http://www.nctsn.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/edu_materials/Entendamoselestrtraumtico.pdf
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Abuse, Sexual
(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Child+Abuse,+Sexual%22
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Childhood Sex Abuse Increases Risk for Drug Dependence in Adult Women(National Institute on Drug Abuse) - http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol17N1/Childhood.html
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: "I can tell you because you're a doctor". - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18676562&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Girls who disclose sexual abuse: urogenital symptoms and signs after... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18676513&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Current research knowledge about adolescent victimization via the Internet. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18605649&tool=MedlinePlus
- Child Sexual Abuse -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=child+abuse,sexual[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Child Sexual Abuse: Contact Information for Related Organizations(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/reslist/rl_dsp.cfm?subjID=83&rate_chno=11-11214
- CyberTipline (Child Sexual Abuse)(National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) - http://www.cybertipline.com/
- National/State Sex Offender Registry(Federal Bureau of Investigation) - http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/cac/registry.htm
- American Academy of Pediatrics - http://www.aap.org/
- Federal Bureau of Investigation - http://www.fbi.gov/
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National Center for Missing and Exploited Children - http://www.missingkids.com/
Also available in Spanish http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PublicHomeServlet?LanguageCountry=es_US&
- National Runaway Switchboard - http://www.1800runaway.org/
- Definitions, Scope, and Effects of Child Sexual Abuse(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/sexabuse/sexabuseb.cfm
- Laws Concerning Child Pornography(National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) - http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=1476
- Laws Concerning Prostituted Children(National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) - http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=1508
- Laws Concerning the Sexual Exploitation of Children(National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) - http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=1481
- Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/manda.cfm
- Sex-Offender Registration(National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) - http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=1482
- National Runaway Switchboard Call Statistics(National Runaway Switchboard) - http://www.1800runaway.org/news_events/call_stats.html
- What You Can Do to Prevent the Sexual Exploitation of Children: Basic Rules of Safety for Children(National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) - http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=1488
- Youths and Teens Page (National Runaway Switchboard)(National Runaway Switchboard) - http://www.1800runaway.org/youth_teens/youth_teens.html
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Helping Yourself Heal: A Recovering Man's Guide to Coping with the Effects of Childhood Abuse(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - Links to PDF - http://www.kap.samhsa.gov/products/brochures/pdfs/HelpingHeal-Mens.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.kap.samhsa.gov/products/brochures/pdfs/HelpingHeal-Mens-spanish.pdf
- Male Sexual Victimization Myths & Facts(MaleSurvivor: National Organization against Male Sexual Victimization) - http://www.malesurvivor.org/myths.html
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Helping Yourself Heal: A Recovering Woman's Guide to Coping with Childhood Abuse Issues(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - Links to PDF - http://www.kap.samhsa.gov/products/brochures/pdfs/HelpingHeal-Womens.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.kap.samhsa.gov/mli/docs/spanish/HelpingHealWomens-Spanish.pdf
- Child Abuse - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childabuse.html
- Children and Teenagers - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childrenandteenagers.html
- Sexual Health Issues - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sexualhealthissues.html
Child Sexual Abuse - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/childsexualabuse.html